British men among fattest in Europe

London: British men are among the fattest in Europe, and Britishers do less exercise as compared to any other country in the world, according to a WHO study.

The study which went into the rise of heart and lung disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, ranked British men as the third fattest in Europe, with 67.8 per cent of males 15 or over either overweight or obese.

Only Greece (77.5 per cent) and Malta (73.3 per cent) are fatter.

British men are the 21st fattest of 192 countries while the women fare better, at the 51st fattest, the Daily Telegraph quoted the World Health Organisation report.

The report said Australian men are significantly fatter than Britishers. More than three in four (75.7 per cent) of Australian men are overweight.

It also found that UK is the ninth least active nation in the world, with 63.3 per cent of adults taking less than 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Of the major nations, only Saudi Arabia (68.8) and Argentina (68.3) are less active.

The report warned that insufficient physical activity leads to 3.2 million deaths a year worldwide and put it down partly to the increased automation of life.